How to contribute

Who can take part?

Any group or organization who holds a collection they consider to be an archive may contribute, if they meet the following conditions:

A: Original Archival Materials

You have original archival materials; this means the greater portion of the items in your collection form a unique record in some way
What is a unique record? This might be because an item is a one-off, such as correspondence or is a collection of non-unique materials – such as newspaper clippings – collected together in a unique form, such as a scrapbook.
Original material can be in any form or format, from papers and printed materials, to photos, videos and born-digital records (items first created digitally, such as a word document, digital photograph or pdf file).

B: Location

Your collection held is in Scotland. The collection itself does not need to be about Scotland alone.
If you hold a collection with strong relevance for Scotland, but are based outside Scotland, please get in touch. We are able to highlight your collections for researchers interested in Scotland in other ways.

C: Access

You can provide public research access to your archive collections.
This can be on certain days of the week, selected days of the year, by appointment or digitally, but should be consistent and clear for researchers
Your collection is registered with the National Archives and you have an Archon code. No Archon code? Use this simple form to apply for free
If you do not currently provide wider public access to your collections but would like to start, it is important to consider how you can do this in a way that is manageable for your group and will keep your collections safe into the future. We are happy to meet with you to talk this through.

D: Catalogue descriptions

You have a catalogue of your archival material, or you are able to create a catalogue of your archival material
Your catalogue can range from: a summary of your whole collection; top-level descriptions for individual collections; full catalogues of collections including item descriptions.
New to archival catalogues? Have a look at our beginner’s guide to catalogues

How does Your Scottish Archives work?

Your Scottish Archives works in partnership with a UK-wide archive portal called Archives Hub; Archives Hub collects descriptions of archive collections from across the UK. Catalogues for Your Scottish Archives are first added to Archives Hub and then mirrored in the Your Scottish Archives portal.

For your archive collections to be included in Your Scottish Archives:

You receive a free Archives Hub account
You create descriptions of your archival collection in Archives Hub or add your existing list or catalogue
Information in Archives Hub is mirrored in Your Scottish Archives through an automatic digital link
Anyone can search Your Scottish Archives, using a text search, to find out what is included in your collections
When researchers find something in your collection they would like to know more about, they are directed to contact your repository and can arrange to see the material.

Why should we join Your Scottish Archives?

It is easier for anyone to find and use your collections
Researchers can discover your collections even if they did not previously know about your repository
You can add tags (“index terms”) to help researchers discover archives
You can connect and collaborate with partners across Scotland who hold related material
You can receive regular statistics about how many people are looking at your catalogues